Contact lens blister packages

Abstract

Contact lens blister packages and related methods are described. The present devices include a thermoplastic base member with a grip portion, a distal end region, a first side region extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region, a second side region opposing the first side region, and a cavity configured to contain a packaging solution and a contact lens. The cavity comprises has a bottom wall with a bottom wall perimeter and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall perimeter to an upper cavity edge defining a cavity perimeter. A plane formed at the intersection of the bottom wall perimeter with the sidewall slopes away from the substantially linear portion of the cavity perimeter.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A contact lens blister package comprising:
 a thermoplastic base member comprising a proximal end region having a grip portion, a distal end region, a first side region extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region, a second side region opposing the first side region, and a cavity configured to contain a packaging solution and a contact lens when placed inside the cavity, the cavity being located between the proximal end region and the distal end region and between the first side region and the second side region; wherein 
 the cavity comprises a bottom wall having a bottom wall perimeter and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall perimeter to an upper cavity edge defining a cavity perimeter and including a substantially linear upwardly extending sidewall portion; 
 the cavity perimeter comprises a substantially linear portion and a non-linear portion opposing the substantially linear portion; and 
 a plane formed at the intersection of the bottom wall perimeter with the sidewall slopes away from the substantially linear portion of the cavity perimeter. 
 
     
     
       2. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a flange extending outwardly therefrom, and the flange includes a sealing area. 
     
     
       3. The contact lens package of  claim 2 , wherein the contact lens blister package further comprises a support rib extending from a distal most end of the flange. 
     
     
       4. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity is a light collimation cavity. 
     
     
       5. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein when the blister package is positioned on a horizontal surface with the cavity opening facing up and with both a proximal edge and the bottom wall of the base member contacting the horizontal surface, the plane formed at the intersection of the bottom wall and the sidewall is parallel to the horizontal surface. 
     
     
       6. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the plane formed at the intersection of the bottom wall and the sidewall is not parallel to a plane defined by the cavity perimeter. 
     
     
       7. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the contact lens blister package is a first contact lens blister package and wherein the base member of the first contact lens blister package is stacked against a second substantially identical contact lens blister package in an inverted reverse arrangement to form a stack of two substantially identical contact lens blister packages having a height of from 1.0 to 1.25 times a height (H) of the first contact lens blister package, a length of from 1.0 to 1.25 times a length (L) of the first contact lens blister package, and a width of from 1.0 to 1.25 times a width (W) of the first contact lens blister package. 
     
     
       8. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially linear portion of the cavity perimeter is a substantially linear proximal portion; the opposing non-linear portion of the cavity perimeter comprises an opposing non-linear distal portion of the cavity perimeter; and the substantially linear proximal portion intersects a length of the base member extending longitudinally from a distal most end to an opposing proximal edge of the base member. 
     
     
       9. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the base member has dimensions comprising a maximum length (L) of 47.8 mm, a maximum width (W) of 30.5 mm, and a maximum height (H) of 9.5 mm. 
     
     
       10. The contact lens blister package of  claim 9 , wherein the dimensions of the base member are substantially the same following autoclaving as before autoclaving. 
     
     
       11. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity of the base member has a maximum cavity length (L C ) of 18.9 mm, a maximum cavity width (W C ) of 22.5 mm, and a maximum cavity depth (D C ) of 8.7 mm. 
     
     
       12. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a volume of from 1.7 milliliters to 2.5 milliliters. 
     
     
       13. The contact lens blister package of  claim 1 , wherein the contact lens blister package is a first contact lens blister package and wherein the base member of the first contact lens blister package is stacked against a second substantially identical contact lens blister package in an inverted reverse arrangement to form a stack of two contact lens blister packages having at least one type of contact between the base member of the first contact lens blister package and a base member of the second contact lens blister package, wherein the at least one type of contact is a line contact between a linear sidewall portion of the base member of the first contact lens blister package and a linear sidewall portion of the base member of the second contact lens blister package, or an edge contact between a support rib of the base member of the first contact lens blister package and a proximal edge of the base member of the second contact lens blister package, or an edge contact between a proximal edge of the base member of the first contact lens blister package and a support rib of the base member of the second contact lens blister package, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
       14. A contact lens package assembly comprising:
 a first blister package and a second blister package, wherein 
 the second blister package is substantially identical to the first blister package; 
 the first blister package and the second blister package each comprises a thermoplastic base member comprising a proximal end region having a grip portion; a distal end region; a first side region extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region; a second side region opposing the first side region; and a cavity configured to contain a packaging solution and a contact lens when placed inside the cavity, the cavity being located between the proximal end region and the distal end region and between the first side region and the second side region; the cavity comprises a bottom wall having a bottom wall perimeter and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall perimeter to an upper cavity edge defining a cavity perimeter; the cavity perimeter comprises a substantially linear portion and a non-linear portion opposing the substantially linear portion; and a plane formed at the intersection of the bottom wall perimeter and the sidewall slopes away from the substantially linear portion of the cavity perimeter; and 
 the base member of the first blister package and the base member of the second blister package are configured such that the base member of the second blister package is stackable against the base member of the first blister package in an inverted reverse arrangement. 
 
     
     
       15. The contact lens package assembly of  claim 14 , wherein a linear sidewall portion of the base member of the first blister package forms a line contact with a linear sidewall portion of the stacked base member of the second blister package. 
     
     
       16. The contact lens package assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the cavity of the base member of the first blister package and the cavity of the base member of the second blister package each contain a contact lens in a packaging solution. 
     
     
       17. The contact lens package assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the base member of the first blister package and the base member of the second blister package each further comprises a flange comprising a sealing area and a sealing member removably attached to the sealing area. 
     
     
       18. The contact lens package assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the base member of the first blister package and the base member of the second blister package each further comprises a support rib extending from a distal most end of the base member, and wherein the proximal edge of the base member of the first blister package abuts the support rib of the stacked base member of the second blister package when the two base members are stacked in an inverted reverse arrangement. 
     
     
       19. The contact lens package assembly of  claim 14 , wherein dimensions of both the first blister package and the second blister package are substantially the same following autoclaving as before autoclaving, and the base member of the first blister package and the base member of the second blister package are stackable in the inverted reverse arrangement following autoclaving. 
     
     
       20. A method of manufacturing a packaged contact lens, comprising:
 providing a demolded and delensed polymeric contact lens body; 
 placing the contact lens body in a thermoplastic base member of a contact lens blister package with a packaging solution; and 
 sealing the contact lens blister package with a sealing member; wherein 
 the base member comprises a proximal end region having a grip portion, a distal end region, a first side region extending from the proximal end region to the distal end region, a second side region opposing the first side region, and a cavity configured to contain a packaging solution and a contact lens when placed in the cavity, the cavity being located between the proximal end region and the distal end region and between the first side region and the second side region; the cavity comprises a bottom wall having a bottom wall perimeter and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall perimeter to an upper cavity edge defining a cavity perimeter; the cavity perimeter comprises a substantially linear portion and a non-linear portion opposing the substantially linear portion; and a plane formed at the intersection of the bottom wall perimeter with the sidewall slopes away from the substantially linear portion of the cavity perimeter.